Tech Tip Tuesday: August 20, 2013

One of my favorite things about being a social media marketer is that every industry is different. Some industries go with social media like peas and carrots. However, others have yet to fully embrace the benefits that social media marketing can bring. Real estate is one industry that seems to be dipping their toes into social media, but has yet to dive in. Some real estate companies are making an effort at social media , but it’s a bit halfhearted and nothing done halfway will be successful. I thought I would share some tips from my past experience working with real estate companies in the social space.

Create Trust

Looking for a new home to buy or rent can be incredibly stressful and people are very likely to turn to social sites for recommendations of realtors. How many times have you seen your friends on Facebook ask if anyone needs a roommate or if anyone knows a good realtor? Studies show that people trust recommendations from peers way more than marketing messaging, so why not place yourself amidst the people you are hoping to serve? By striving to create trust, you are not only opening yourself up to be recommended, you are also setting yourself up to be the choice of the person who received no social recommendations and has to go on their gut instinct. How can you create trust as a realtor? Show people who you are! Highlight your staff, your policies, your previous clients or anything else that a potential client might ask. Do your best to answer questions before people ask, THIS creates trust. Of course, you don’t want to bombard people with information about you or your company, however tactfully helping people to get to know you will help them to trust you.

Provide USEFUL Information

While you definitely do want to make it easy for people to get familiar with you on social sites, that alone won’t cut it. You have to show them you know the ins and outs of your business. Be sure to incorporate industry information that would be useful to someone looking for a new place to buy or rent. This can be mortgage rates, where the highest/lowest rent can be found, highly rated developments and even home decorating ideas. By diversifying your content with useful information, you will not only be trusted but will also be top of mind when it comes time for the potential client to choose a realtor.

Use the Right Tools

One major social media mistake I see in the real estate industry is either not using each platform properly or simply setting accounts and waiting. If you are in real estate and you do NOT have a Facebook business page, stop what you are doing and go create one. Business pages allow you to leverage Facebook advertising options and insights. These are vital to your social success. To truly see the return on your time spent on social sites, you have to be using the tools available to you appropriately.

Get Creative

Realistically, after you have successfully placed a person into a new home there won’t be much communication between you. THIS is where you have to get creative. Provide your social communities with creative content to keep them engaged. Show them unique decorating ideas, ugly homes, expensive homes, life hacks and anything else that you think is interesting. If you can keep them hooked, you are likely to get their recommendation.

Don’t be Afraid to Sell Every Now and Then

With all of this talk about creating trust, being useful and getting creative, we should also remember that the social accounts are meant to generate interest in real estate listings. Don’t be afraid to highlight your listings periodically. Be sure to point out why the listing might be perfect for someone looking for a new place to buy or rent. If you are strategic about when you publish content about your listings, you are likely to see a great response from the community. From experience, people will actually message you asking for more information.